iPod game
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An iPod click wheel game or iPod game is a video game playable on the various versions of the Apple portable media player, the iPod. The original iPod had the game Brick (originally invented by Apple's co-founder Steve Wozniak) included as an easter egg hidden feature; later firmware versions added it as a menu option. Later revisions of the iPod added three more games in addition to Brick: Parachute, Solitaire, and Music Quiz. These games should not be confused with games for the iPod Touch. Those games require the iPhone OS and are only available on Apple's App Store on iTunes.
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[edit] History
In September 2006 the iTunes Store began to offer nine additional games for purchase with the launch of iTunes 7, compatible with the fifth generation iPod with iPod software 1.2 or later. Those games were: Bejeweled, Cubis 2, Mahjong, Mini Golf, Pac-Man, Tetris, Texas Hold 'Em, Vortex, and Zuma. These games were made available for purchase from the iTunes Store for US$4.99 each. In December 2006 two more games were released by EA Mobile at the same price: Royal Solitaire and Sudoku. In February 2007 Ms. Pac-Man was released followed in April 2007 by iQuiz. Up until this point, all the available games could be purchased in a package, with no discount.
In May 2007 Apple released Lost: The Video Game based on the television show, which is made by Gameloft. In June 2007 "SAT Prep 2008" by Kaplan. This was introduced as 3 separate educational games based on the subjects writing, reading, and mathematics. In December 2007, Apple released Sega's classic game; Sonic the Hedgehog, which was originally packaged with the Sega Genesis system in the early 1990s.
With third parties like Namco, Square Enix, EA, Sega, and Hudson Soft all making games for the iPod, Apple's MP3 player has taken great steps towards entering the video game handheld console market. Even video game magazines like GamePro & EGM have reviewed and rated most of their games as of late.
The games are in the form of .ipg files (iPod game), which are actually .zip archives in disguise. When unzipped, they reveal executable files along with common audio and image files, leading to the possibility of third party games. Currently, Apple has no publicly available SDK for iPod-specific development.[1] The iPhone SDK only covers the iPhone OS and the iPhone and iPod Touch, not traditional iPods.
[edit] Games
This is a list of games available for the newest iPods, excluding the iPod Touch. Each game costs US$4.99 to purchase.
| Title | Publisher | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| Texas Hold'Em | Apple Inc. | September 12, 2006 |
| Zuma | Astraware | September 12, 2006 |
| Pac-Man | Namco | September 12, 2006 |
| Tetris | Electronic Arts | September 12, 2006 |
| Mini Golf | Electronic Arts | September 12, 2006 |
| Cubis 2 | Fresh Games | September 12, 2006 |
| Sudoku | Electronic Arts | December 19, 2006 |
| Ms. Pac-Man | Namco | February 27, 2007 |
| SAT Prep 2008 (Math) | Kaplan | June 22, 2007 |
| SAT Prep 2008 (Writing) | Kaplan | June 22, 2007 |
| SAT Prep 2008 (Reading) | Kaplan | June 22, 2007 |
| The Sims Bowling | Electronic Arts | July 17, 2007 |
| The Sims Pool | Electronic Arts | July 31, 2007 |
| Brain Challenge | Gameloft/Apple Inc. | September 5, 2007 |
| Phase | Harmonix | November 6, 2007 |
| Sonic the Hedgehog | Sega | December 18, 2007 |
| Peggle | PopCap Games | December 18, 2007 |
| Bomberman | Hudson Soft | December 18, 2007 |
| Block Breaker Deluxe | Gameloft/Apple Inc. | January 15, 2008 |
| Pole Position Remix | Namco | January 21, 2008 |
| Naval Battle | Gameloft | February 4, 2008 |
| Chess & Backgammon | Gameloft | February 4, 2008 |
| Yahtzee | Hasbro | February 11, 2008 |
| Pirates of the Caribbean: Aegir's Fire | Disney | February 20, 2008 |
| Bubble Bash | Gameloft | February 25, 2008 |
| Scrabble | Electronic Arts/Hasbro | March 3, 2008 |
| Bejeweled | PopCap Games | April 15, 2008 |
| Mahjong | Electronic Arts | April 22, 2008 |
| Monopoly | Electronic Arts/Hasbro | June 3, 2008 |
| The Sims DJ | Electronic Arts | June 9, 2008 |
| Song Summoner: The Unsung Heroes | Square Enix | July 8, 2008 |
| UNO | Gameloft | July 2008 |
| Mystery Mansion Pinball | Gameloft | August 2008 |
| Chalkboard Sports Baseball | D2C | August 2008 |
| Spore Origins | Electronic Arts | September 2008 |
| Star Trigon | Namco | September 2008 |
| CSI: Miami | Gameloft | September 2008 |
| Tamagotchi: 'Round the World | Namco | November 2008 |
| Asphalt 4:Elite Racing | Gameloft | December 2008 |
| Tiger Woods PGA Tour | Electronic Arts | December 2008 |
| Real Soccer '09 | Gameloft | December 2008 |
| Slyder Adventures | Sandlot Games | December 2008 |
| Reversi | Apple Inc. | December 2008 |
| Wonder Blocks | Gameloft | December 2008 |
| Lode Runner | Hudson Soft | December 2008 |
| Crystal Defenders | Square Enix | December 2008 |
| Chinese Checkers | Apple Inc | December 2008 |
| Trivial Pursuit | Electronic Arts/Hasbro | December 2008 |
| Cake Mania 3 | Sandlot Games | February 2009 |
| Project: Fun with Children | Happy Funsoft | TBA |
| "Spore Creatures" | Electronic Arts | June 2010 |
[edit] Default games
These are the games that originally came with an iPod.[2]
| iPod version | Title/s | Publishers |
|---|---|---|
| iPod Nano 4G; iPod Nano 5G | Vortex, Maze, and Klondike | Apple Inc. |
| iPod Nano 3G; iPod Classic 6G | Vortex, iQuiz, and Klondike | Apple Inc. |
| iPod 3G, 4G, 5G, and 5.5G; iPod Nano 1G and 2G; iPod Mini 1G and 2G | Music Quiz, Brick, Solitaire, and Parachute | Apple Inc. |
| iPod 1G, 2G | Brick (known as "Game") | Apple Inc. |
[edit] Criticism
iTunes has come under much criticism due to the UK price of iPod games, GB£3.99 (about US$7.40). Many people from the UK have given the games 1* ratings, stating that Apple is "ripping off" Britain.[3]
A similar thing has occurred in Australia. Australians pay AU$7.49 , while the regular exchange rate hovers at between AU$5.00 and AU$6.00.
Developers have criticized Apple for not creating a software development kit (SDK) for software developers to create new iPod games. This is likely to keep the digital rights management of iPod games closed.[citation needed]
When the iPod Classic and iPod Nano third generation were released, games which had been previously purchased could not be synced to the new iPods. This made many consumers angry due to their lost investment.
It is also notable that after a download has been made for a game, it cannot be downloaded again unless a separate purchase is made for the same item.[4] This is different behavior than applications downloaded on the App Store, which can be downloaded multiple times.
[edit] Unofficial games
Some older iPod units are capable of using replacement firmware such as iPod Linux and Rockbox. These firmware projects can play many other games including a native port of Doom, and via a native port of the Game Boy emulator Gnuboy many other games including Super Mario, Tomb Raider, Mega Man, Kirby, Metroid, The Legend of Zelda, Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, and hundreds more.[citation needed]
All versions of the iPod Touch or iPhone can be hacked to allow free downloading of thousands of open source games. This process is commonly known as "jailbreaking", and involves modifying the iPod firmware to allow users to run applications and games created by a third party source.[5]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "What's Inside an iPod Game?" bensinclair.com, September 14, 2006.
- ^ "Fun for your iPod", November 26, 2007.
- ^ iTunes store
- ^ Melanson, Donald (2007-09-19). "iPod games must be repurchased for new iPods". Engadget. http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/19/ipod-games-must-be-repurchased-for-new-ipods/. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
- ^ http://ipodxs.com
[edit] External links
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